


[Project File]: Unknown

by KateCake



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Scientist W. D. Gaster, pre-game, this is built from years worth of headcanons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-09-16 04:38:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16947153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KateCake/pseuds/KateCake
Summary: The Royal Scientist had many projects he worked on at once. Though more often than not, the amount of work done on each project at any given time was disproportionate.His projects were for Monsterkind and the Royal family (and once for himself).He gave the Underground unlimited energyHe gave them an easy form of quick communication.He worked to give the Dreemurr's adopted son a means to defend himself without magic.He worked to destroy the Barrier.He worked and worked until he was no more.





	1. Copy Data

**Author's Note:**

> Deltarune has rekindled my love for Undertale. I can't believe I've forgotten my love of this series. 
> 
> I actually found the original draft (which was straight-up awful btw) while looking through my high school math notes for my roommate haha. I've just been using it as a rough outline of what I wan't this story to be. 
> 
> It's essentially an idea my friend and I came up w/ during many English classes; Gaster's disappearance and Sans' back story in concerns to his single glowing eye and the Gaster Blasters.
> 
> And as the tags state: it's built using years worth of headcanons. Some more recent than others, but still. Having said that, this isn't that great and I don't really know where this is going. I just have one scene for endgame(ish) I know I want and Imma try and get there. But finals be killing me lmao.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter will be properly legible. I plan to do a mix of traditional narrative and journal entries for this fic, so stuff like this chap won't be seen again.

[Type]: Fi̕̕l͝e̴̕ ͜F͠oļd̷̕e̸r

[Location]: C:\Users\̕͡ ̵̛̛̕͢ ̡͞ ̸̛͟҉ ̴͟͝ ҉̵̢̛͟ ̷̕͢ \Documents\ongoing\ ̸̢͠͡ ̨  \ ̨̧͜͠͠ ̶̴͡͏ ҉ ̶҉̢̛ ̶̧̛ ̴̡̛͢͡ ̨̧͜͠͠ ̶̴͡͏ ҉ ̶҉̢̛ ̶̧̛ ̛

[Size]: ͟͡͏̧E̴̷̛͢͞r̵͏̸͘͟r̸̵͘o̷̸͟͝r̷̕̕ ̵͜

[Contains]: ̢̨͘͢͠ ̷̡̛̕͠  Files,  ̷̨̡͟͠ ̢̨͠͠  ͟Folders

 

>FILE *l_c;  
>FILE *r_c;  
>FILE *log;  
>FILE *report;  
>FILE *note;  
>char logs[5] = “logs”;  
>char log[4] = “log”;  
>char reports[8] = “reports”;  
>char report[7] = “report”;

 

>note = fopen(“notes”,“r”);  
>l_c = fopen(“l_c.txt”, “w”);  
>r_c = fopen(“r_c.txt”, “w”);  
>int f = fscanf(note, “%s”, log);  
>int f2 fscanf(note, “%s”, logs);  
>int f3 = fscanf(note, “%s”, report);  
>int f4 = fscanf(note, “%s”, reports);

>while(f != EOF; f2 != EOF; f3 != EOF; f4 != EOF){

          >if(f == log){  
                    >log = fopen(“log.tx”,“r”);  
                    >char l[10000000000] = fscanf(log, “%s”, &l);  
                    >fprintf(l_c, “%s”, l);  
                    >fclose(log);  
                    >}

          >else(){  
                    >return null;  
                    >}

          >if(f2 == logs){  
                    >log = fopen(“logs.tx”,“r”);  
                    >char l[10000000000] = fscanf(logs, “%s”, &l);  
                    >fprintf(l_c, “%s”, l);  
                    >fclose(logs);  
                    >}

          >else(){  
                    >return null;  
                    >}

           >if(f3 == report){  
                    >report = fopen(“report.tx”,“r”);  
                    >char r[10000000000] = fscanf(report, “%s”, &l);  
                    >fprintf(r_c, “%s”, l);  
                    >fclose(report);  
                    >}

          >else(){  
                    >return null;  
                    >}

          >if(f4 == reports){  
                    >reports = fopen(“reports.tx”,“r”);  
                    >char r[10000000000] = fscanf(reports, “%s”, &l);  
                    >fprintf(r_c, “%s”, l);  
                    >fclose(reports);  
                    >}

          >else(){  
                    >return null;  
                    >}

}

>fclose(l_c);  
>fclose(r_c);  
>fclose(note);

  
>return 0;

 

C:\Users\ ͏̛̕ ̷ ͝ ͏ ̡ ̵̕>dir "\\* OS (C:)" /s

          Directory of C:\Users\ ͏̛̕ ̷ ͝ ͏ ̡ ̵̕ \  
͏̡̨ ̢͜ ̸ ͡ ̡ ̵̕͠  /͜͏ ̧͠ ҉̛ ̡ ͘ ̛/ ̨̡ ͟ ͘ ̧͞ ͝     04:07 AM      <DIR>       ̵̛̛̕͢ ̡͞ ̸̛͟҉ ̴͟͝ ҉̵̢̛͟ ̷̕͢    
                              ̡͏ ̷ ̶͡   File(s)              ͟͡͏̧E̴̷̛͢͞r̵͏̸͘͟r̸̵͘o̷̸͟͝r̷̕̕ ̵͜  bytes

C:\Users\ ͏̛̕ ̷ ͝ ͏ ̡ ̵̕ \ ̵̛̛̕͢ ̡͞ ̸̛͟҉ ̴͟͝ ҉̵̢̛͟ ̷̕͢  >cd l_r.txt

_l_r.txt opening..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the bastardization of C.


	2. Open Logs

[Type]: Text Document

[Size]: ͟͡͏̧E̴̷̛͢͞r̵͏̸͘͟r̸̵͘o̷̸͟͝r̷̕̕ ̵͜

̶̴͡͏ ҉ ̶҉̢̛ ̶̧̛ ̴̡̛͢͡ ̨̧͜͠͠ ̶̴͡͏ ҉ ̶҉̢̛ ̶̧̛ ̛ Project (Personal Logs)

−−−−

Date: ̢͞·̸̢·͜͟͢.̸̢͘͟·̷̨̨·҉̵̴.̢͞·̶̵͢͠·̛  
Entry: 430

Sent a request to the King this morning. I need test subjects to continue. Hopefully I can get prisoners.

Proposal (End Summary):

The theory has been finalized. Changes in any of the conditions (singular and multiple) no longer alter the outcome of the equations. Despite there being no problems with use, in theory, precautions still need to be taken. The project cannot be initialized without proper experimentation. There is still a chance something goes wrong and the user dies. For obvious reasons neither you, I, or any other boss-type monster can be test subjects. However, a regular monster should suffice given they are strong enough. This will also insure that any boss-type monster will be able to use it without the need for calibration between users.

To my understanding, there are still prisoners from wartime. Most are significantly stronger than the average civilian while still not being of a boss-type.

I request that these prisoners be released into my care for the purpose of this project. I will also accept prisoners serving life/near-life sentences with no family or loved ones. This will provide an adequate amount of subjects while simultaneously lowering the population thus lessening the strain on resources. We may not be low on resources yet, but the longer it takes for such a thing to happen the better.

I have included an addendum outlining how each subject will be used in experimentation. Containment of and safety measures against subjects in-and-out of testing are more detailed.

Date: ̡̢͝·͟͝·̶̨͜.̵͜͡͠·҉͢͡͠·̷̧̛.̴̨͜͟·̴̧͟·̸͝  
Entry: 431

The King approved the proposal. The subjects should arrive within the week. I know it’s stupid to hope that there’s still humans among the prisoners, but I hope there are.

  
Date: ̷̴·̷̸̷·̡͢.̶̸͘·̛͝҉͟·̴̧͜.̶̴̛͢͡·̸̧͢͝҉·̕͏̵  
Entry: 432

The subjects arrive this morning. I was also given records detailing the reason for imprisonment. Nearly all the files date to the war, as expected. But there are a few post-war files.

Entry: 433

Situating the subjects took longer than expected. The security systems and failsafes work as expected.  Subjects can be subdued without killing or severely injuring them.

 

Date: ̴̶͘͞·̶̧·̧̧͘͘҉.̢̧̛̛͠·̛͡͡͝·͝.͟͞͏·͝͏͠·̡̨  
Entry: 436

Asgore sent me a lab assistant despite my vehement protests.

He may not be a child but he’s hardly an adult. I could care less that he was top of the graduating class, or that the he graduated early; he only just got through Intermediate-Adult School. What’s he supposed to help me on? _Transcription_? Not like he has the knowledge found in Adult School to actually do work.

Let it be known, that if this project results a failure or one of us falls before we can start the important testing, the naïve new assistant likely had a hand in it.

 

Date: ͠·̷͘·̷̕͘.̶̵̡̕͝·̵̕·͏͡.̶̶̶̨·̸̨͜·̶̵̨  
Entry: 441

He’s a skeleton. I didn’t think there were any left. I gave him all my notes, proposals, and reports to go over. He’s already here so I may as well use him. As a skeleton, he should pick up on everything quickly enough.

Though I wonder how long it will take him to start asking me to dumb down everything.

For now, I am going through the subject’s records. Only the post-war records have their LVs stated, and even those are just estimates.

 

Date: N/A  
Entry: 442

Place holder for note equivalent. LEOG personal logs to be added. Maybe.

 

Date: ̧͜͞͞·̡͡͠·͟.̶̷̸̢͢·͢҉̛·̕͜.̷̧̛·͏̛·̴̛͟  
Entry: 443

Even after a full century I still sometimes forget to log things digitally. Technology is a blessing, I don’t know how I ever managed to work without it, but old habits die hard I suppose. The younger of the monsters don’t seem to have a problem however. A sign of the times.

I’ll have my assistant transcribe the rest of this mini project’s notes in the previous entry’s note counterpart.

For now, I’ll transcribe the most relevant information.

Original Note Date: ̷̛͠·̴̷̴̸·̶̶͞.̸̢͜͠·̕·̛̛͠.̸̢̨͠҉·̵͘͝·̧͘͘͟͞

These new L.E.O (LV and EXP Observer) Goggles should help me see a monster’s stats w/o having to engage the subject in battle.

Original Note Date:  ̷̶̛·͞·̢͘.͟͠͝·͜͡͏·̧͘͠.̷̸͜·̢̧̛̕·͏̕͢

The leo goggles appear to work. All readings recorded using the goggles are the same as those observed when engaging the low LV subjects in battle.

Got hit in the mouth by one of their bullets. Not fun.

 

Date: ̨͢·͘͡͠.̵͘͞·̶͢͢͡·̨͠.̷̶͜͝·̴͏·̕҉͢͟  
Entry: 444

I gave my assistant the subjects’ records and told him to sort them from highest to lowest LV.

He did not ask questions last time I gave him something to look through. I will be using this to test whether or not he’s actually doing his work or not.

Entry: 445

I went to check on my assistant’s progress and he wasn’t there. The records look like they’ve barely been touched too. I may have given him the work towards the end of the day, but this is ridiculous. It’s looking like my suspicions were right. He isn’t doing any work.

 

Date: ·̴͜͞͞·̷̵͞.͘͡͞·̸̵̛̕·̵͘͜.̷̡͟҉·͞·͢  
Entry: 446

I asked him why he didn’t get far in his work yesterday. He cracked some stupid joke about having been working overtime lately.  
… B/c there’s a clock under his desk while he works…

I refuse to have this level of incompetence in my lab.

Entry: 447

Asgore threatened to shut the project down if I don’t work w/ my new assistant.

 

Date: ͏̧̨͘·̴̵̕͘̕·̵͢͜͠.̶̸̢̛͝·̧̛͝·͏̨̨͟.͘͟͠·̕·̵̸̨͞  
Entry: 448

I found the list I asked for on my desk this morning. I’m skeptical of its validity; it’s barely been more than a day.

Entry: 449

I used the leo goggles and the order seems correct. He somehow managed to order them correctly in just under two days.

It would’ve taken me a week. Minimum.

Entry: 450

On impulse, I stopped him before he left for the night. I asked him how he sorted them all so quickly. He told me that he just needed to have a little chat with them and judged them from that.

 

Date: ·̕҉̵͡҉.҉̵͘͢·̵͘͢͠·͜͠͏.̶̧̢͡·͜͠͞·̸̧  
Entry: 455

My assistant is annoyingly picky.

I knew from the start that I was going to need to have some of the subjects fight and kill each other to raise their LV. It seems like a simple enough task:

Have the lowest half fight and kill each other until there are 35% of the starting number. Then from there, testing would start.

Intent would be tricky of course. Technically speaking it’s the same as LV but it’s still possible to have a low LV and high malicious intent just as it’s possible to have a high LV and low to non-existent malicious intent.

But that doesn’t matter. I already accounted for the unknown variable. There’s no need for his stupid bracket system.

 

Date: ̶͘͟·̴͜͞͞·̷̵͞.͘͡͞·̸̵̛̕·̵͘͜.̷̡͟҉·͞·͢  
Entry: 460

The bracket system is still incredibly stupid. But if a single battle is all it takes to get rid of him, then I’ll go along with it.

I will be using the leo goggles.

Entry: 461

Subject 17 gained more EXP than I anticipated. It _has_ to be a fluke.

I’m going to rework some of the predictions, see what needed to be changed to get the shown results.

Entry 462:

Three’s a pattern. He was right all three times. Even with two subjects with a significant gap in their LV stats. Even the modified equations back up his claims.

His bracket system will be used for the rest of testing.

It’s still stupid.

 

Date: ̨·̸̸͝·̕҉̵͡҉.҉̵͘͢·̵͘͢͠·͜͠͏.̶̧̢͡·͜͠͞·̸̧  
Entry: 474

I must find a new way to discern the subjects’ stats. The goggles cause too much damage. My eye sockets are littered with hairline fractures.

I supposed that explains the headaches and blurry vision.

 

Date: ̸̡̛͞·̴̶̨̢͞·̢̢̛.̴̶͏҉̧·͟͝·̕̕͘.͏̕·͢͡͝͡·̵̵̶͟  
Entry: 487

It’s been a little over a month since the accident/\\. The project has been put on hold indefinitel ywhule I heal .The strain of the goggles was too much for me. One of the hairline fractures finally split. I have a large crack from the bottom of the socket to be bottom of the maxilla /I even lost one of my teeth and chipped another.

Though I;m not worried about wht the scar will look like once it’s healed. It’s not my first, and all pre-barrier monsters have them, .I’m more oworried about my sight. I hoep the vision loss isn]t permanrnt

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Last Entry:** _It’s been a little over a month since the accident. The project has been put on hold indefinitely while I heal. The strain of the goggles was too much for me. One of the hairline fractures finally split. I have a large crack from the bottom of the socket to the bottom of my maxilla. I even lost one of my teeth._  
>  _Though I’m not worried about what the scar will look like once it’s healed. All pre-barrier monsters have them. I’m more worried about my sight. I hope the vision loss isn’t permanent._
> 
> I never realized how hard it was to type w/ my eyes not on the screen/keyboard lmao. 
> 
> So yeah... Next chap is a traditional chapter, actual narrative and not pseudo-notes.


	3. The Dreemurrs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Semi recently, I started listening to UT comic dubs on youtube, and there's this one person that does Grillby w/ a southern (USA) accent and I fell in love w/ it.  
> And then I read Hellfire, which has Grillby as part of the human-monster war. So that's were those headcanons come from.
> 
> Also, due to this being written forever ago (and personal headcanons) Chara's a dude.
> 
> Edit [Jan. 8, 2019]:Nothing major changed. Fixed some minor issues and reworded two sentences to make them clearer.

Gaster rarely takes his work home with him. The lab is for working, not the home. Unfortunately, his current state doesn’t allow him to work at his lab. Not that he would be able to do much more than go over his notes at the moment.

A plate gets slammed on top of the notebook he’s writing in. “You best not be working on what I think you’re working on, Gaster.”

The words catches his attention before their meaning does. It’s a jarring font for him to see. It’s something any monster would expect on military reports, a clear indication of its owner’s background. More so now that the soothing farmer-drawl of the speech doesn’t match the implications of the font.

Gaster looks up resisting the urge to grumble. ‘ _Give me a break_ ,’ he signs.

It’s still incredibly disconcerting to sign without talking. While it hasn’t affected his ability to communicate with others, it’s a reminder that his kind is incredibly uncommon nowadays.

“I’m tryin’, but yer insistence on that dang project’s gettin’ in the way.”

Gaster resists the urge to grimace. ‘ _You’re messing up your words again, Grillby. Calm down_.’

The heat of his flames increase in warning. “Don’t you go tryin’a change the subject, Wingdings Gaster,” he says sharply. “You still can’t even eat right.”

Gaster simply takes his fists and tilts them down indignantly.

“Prove it then, _mister scientist_ ,” Grillby says crossing his arms.

Gaster pulls the plate of food closer. He uses the fork to lift a few noodles to his mouth and hesitates. Moving his jaw still hurts but he’ll push through just to get Grillby off his back.

“Nice try, but I see you still hurting,” Grillby sighs taking the seat across from him. “You really need to rest, Gaster.”

‘ _Spare me the lecture_ ,’ he signs. ‘ _I already got it from the healer._ ’

“With good reason,” Grillby stresses. “You were out for nearly a month! If it weren’t for that assistant of yours, you’d’ve died.”

Gaster grumbles despite the pain the action causes. _His assistant_. Hardly any of the Adult School professors could follow his work, so how can some IAS graduate not only follow but keep up with all of his work?

There’s so much about that— for lack of a better word— kid that he doesn’t know about. He’s old enough to have been an infant or toddler during the war, but he acts as if he never experienced any of that trauma. He’s like most of the Underground’s younger population: happy, carefree, and bored. Gaster would even go so far as to call him lazy were it not for all the hard work he seems to do no problem in the lab.

“Doctor Gaster?” Grillby says waving a hand in front of his face. “You in there?”

‘ _Yes, yes_. _Simply lost in thought._ ’ Gaster signs pulling himself from his musings. After a few moments he begins to sign again. ‘ _You hear a lot of gossip, don’t you?_ ’

Grillby raises an eyebrow at him. He seems mildly confused despite his motion for Gaster to continue.

‘ _Have you heard anything about a monster who doesn’t act their age? Is smarter than they should be?_ ’

“Young I’m guessing?”

‘ _My best guess puts them at about 230, give or take a decade or two._ ’

Grillby’s eyes widen in shock. “A boss monster?” He asks

Gaster pauses. He hadn’t considered that possibility. ‘ _I’m not sure, actually,_ ’ he admits.

“A _skeleton_?” Grillby sounds surprised. Gaster nods unbothered by his friend’s incredulity.

Skeletons are almost unheard of nowadays, despite their longer than average lifespans. Even non boss-type skeletons tend to have similar lifespans to boss-type monsters. It’s part of the reason his kind were commonly seen in military camps and on the battlefield. Their knowledge of humans, through mere observation during their lives, was a valuable resource.

“Can’t say I know anything,” Grillby replies sounding apologetic. “Didn’t realize there were more of you left. Thought it was just you and your kid.”

‘ _As did I_ ,’ Gaster signs. He presses his teeth together in thought only to grimace at the pain. ‘ _But he’s definitely old enough to have been born before we were trapped since he doesn’t know his age_.’

Grillby seems to dim. His warm orange glow dulls to a dark, translucent, red. He suddenly looked far too old and weary to be the humble owner of a small-town bar and grill. He lets out a long breath. “Been a hundred and seventy-two  years since we been trapped,” he says almost absently. “But still feels like just a few years ago.”

Gaster nods solemnly. He regrets bringing the war up to Grillby. It’s something neither of them like discussing; Grillby especially. He searches desperately for anything else to talk about but can’t think of anything.

The bell above the door chimes and Grillby shakes himself out of his thoughts. His flame brightens but doesn’t reach the same warm orange hue it was at before.

“(Hello, Grillby).”

“Good evening, Grillby.”

The two guards barely spare him a greeting before turning to Gaster.

“(Doctor Gaster),” the shorter of the two, Doggère, addresses him. His words shake with worry.

“You’re needed in the castle immediately,” Dogienne explains sounding more composed than her brother.

Gaster’s quick to stand. He hardly gets summoned like this anymore. The King or Queen usually just call him on his phone. They only ever send guards to summon someone when they’re panicked.

“What’s going on?” Grillby asks, voice sharp. He’s on his feet, stance ridged but balanced; the stance of a soldier.

The two dogs glance at Grillby then at each other. Their parents fought alongside Grillby towards the end of the war. They must be torn between their loyalty to the king and their loyalty to a comrade of kin.

Grillby seems to realize their dilemma almost immediately. “Nevermind,” he says forcing himself to relax. “I’ll watch yer boy ‘till you get back, Gaster.”

‘ _Thank you_ ,’ Gaster signs quickly as he follows the guards out.

They lead him to the northern edge of town. The pace is so fast they may as well run. Neither guard spoke the entire time. Their tails curled nearly between their legs is the only indication to their nervousness. Even the River Person seems subdued by the heavy atmosphere.

‘ _What’s happened_?’ Gaster asks.

“We don’t know,” Dogienne says making a distressed whining sound.

“(But we could smell _something_ ,)” Doggère interjects.

“It smelled bitter and very sharp.”

“(You can smell it everywhere.)”

“It was like hot metal.”

Gaster sucks in a sharp breath. That sounds like blood. He tries to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. Whatever’s going on isn’t good.

He’s nearly knocked off his seat when the ferry stops. It’s the quickest trip he’s ever taken. “Tra la la. In times of need, in times of loss. There is a hope, there is a dream,” River Person says. Their voice thrums through the air as Gaster and the guards exit the boat. “To place where The Angel rests. The destination of all.”

Gaster pauses. The Angel. Surely they couldn’t mean the one from the prophecy, but… the only _angel_ with capitalization like that is the one from the prophecy.

“(Doctor Gaster.)”

Were it not for the circumstances, he would have stayed and _demanded_ that River Person explain themselves.

“We _must_ hurry.”

Gaster turns away from River Person and follows the guards. He’ll have to remember to ask them what they know of The Angel. For now, however…

Dogienne rushes ahead of them to unlock the door. “Fast. It smells… (Smells stronger.)”

He rushes through the door the moment it’s opened.

Gaster can count the number of times he’s run through the castle on one hand. The last time was when the King became ill.

The heavy feeling in his stomach seems to increase. The stench of blood gets stronger the closer he gets to the princes’ room.

A wall of spears erupts from the floor. Gaster scrambles to stop before he gets impaled on them.

“ _Halt!_ ” It’s a strong voice, borderline uppercase, but incredibly young sounding. “State your purpose before I _skewer_ you.”

Gaster turns an angry glare on the guard. She’s about his height, maybe an inch shorter. ‘ _You must be new,_ ’ he signs angrily.

“I said, state your purpose!” She spits.

‘ _The King and Queen called for me._ ’

That only seems to anger her more. “Stop playing games!” She shouts.

Gaster barely holds himself back from clenching his jaw. This brat— whoever she is— can’t seriously be a royal guard. Not without knowing hand-cyphers.

It’s just his luck that _now_ , during an emergency, some newbie decides to screw everything up. At least _his_ assistant has been competent. “YOu INSUfFE-,” he winces at the pain. It feels like his skull is going to split all over again. “ROOkIE-.”

The guard takes a step back, startled by the sound of his words. She brandishes her spear in an attempt to hide her surprise. Gaster lifts a hand, blue magic gathering in his palm. The hall is narrow but he should be able to toss her to the other end with minimal damage.

Her SOUL is incredibly light in his grip. The magic it gives off, however, labels her as a boss-type monster. She’s a fledgling boss monster.

It makes him nauseous. The thought of having to fight her. Fight another monster. A _child_. He doesn’t want to.

The guard nearly jump out of her armor when the door behind her is thrown open. “Undyne, what is– _Both of you! Stop it this instant!_ ” Asgore orders. His voice is strong, but his expression is frantic. Gaster doesn’t miss the dried flecks of blood on his clothes. “Quickly, inside,” he says dragging Gaster into the room.

Gaster had braced himself for what he’d see during the trip. He had prepared himself for whatever sight lay ahead.

He didn’t do a good job.

There was vomit and blood on the bedding, the floor, and in a trashcan. Asriel doesn’t seem to mind as he supports a thin pale figure as it dry heaves into a trashcan.

‘ _When did this happen?_ ’ Gaster signs quickly. He rushes to their side to get a better look. ‘ _How did this happen?_’

“Ch–Chara stopped feeling well three days ago,” Asriel explained shakily. His eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn’t slept in days. “I… I–,” his voice broke as he tried not to cry again. Asgore is at his side in an instant.

Toriel places a hand on Gaster’s shoulder to get his attention. She hands him a notebook and a pen. He takes the items with a pair of summoned extraneous hands. ‘ _Thank you._ ’

Toriel moves to her husband’s side. There’s hardly enough room for them on the bed, but they refuse to leave Chara’s side. “Chara lost his appetite about a week ago,” she says quietly. “I couldn’t get him to eat anything. Not even chocolate.”

Chara lets out a quick breath, a weak laugh. “Can’t be bribed forever,” he teases weakly.

Gaster notes that their voice sounds hoarse. All the vomiting seems to be damaging his throat. A very alarming prospect.

‘ _Why haven’t you been eating?_ ’ He asks already beginning his examination.

“Stomach hurts,” he mumbles hugging their middle. Asriel presses closer to their side.

‘ _When?_ ’

“Whenever I ate… And all the time now.”

‘ _Why did you wait so long?_ ’

Chara looks away and begins to fidget with the bedding. “I didn’t think it was–,” he abruptly cuts himself off reaching for the trash can. Asriel holds Chara upright as he heaves and coughs into the trash. Barely anything gets thrown up; just a pitiful amount of food mixed with too much blood.

Gaster ignores the pain in his jaw and face as he rhythmically clenches and unclenches his jaw. Much of the check-up went in a similar manner. Chara continued to vomit alarming amounts of blood.

Healers were called to no avail. They couldn’t mend whatever was wrong; it wasn’t caused by magic. Any health gained was lost immediately after.  

Gaster ran a hand over his face as he looked at Chara’s medical history. He only had information from when he fell into the Underground, but considering the state he had been in when Asriel found them… Gaster suspects he’s the only one with medical records on Chara.

Chara looked to be in the same state he was in when he first arrived to the Undergrown. He had looked sickly and underfed, much like he does now. The only difference being the lack of bruises on his body.

‘ _All of you need to get some sleep_ ,’ Gaster signs tensely.

Asgore and Toriel seem reluctant.

‘ _I’ll keep an eye on the young Prince_.’

That seems to ease their worries. They both hug and kiss Chara and Asriel, telling them how much they’re loved. He doesn’t miss how both boys seem to tear up as their parents exit the room.

‘ _You too, Prince Asriel_ ,’ Gaster adds, seemingly as an afterthought.

Chara and Asriel both look startled. “But–,” Asriel starts.

‘ _I have no idea what this is. There is no way to be certain that this will not spread or jump hosts_ ,’ he continues smoothly. ‘ _Unless either of you know anything about the affliction._ ’

Asriel looks even more anxious at Gaster’s words. He turns back to Chara and pulls him into a tight hug. Chara buries his face into his brother’s shoulder and hugs him back just as tightly. Gaster can’t be sure if Chara’s trembling is from how weak he feels or from how tightly he’s holding onto his brother.                                                                                                                                                                          

The look they give each other when they part breaks Gaster’s SOUL. The sheer worry and fear on their faces almost has him reconsider making Asriel leave. ‘ _I promise to call you should anything happen._ ’

“I’ll be fine,” Chara promises softly “so stop crying, you crybaby.”

Asriel doesn’t try to hold back his tears as he laughs shakily. “You’re crying too, Chara,” he says. “So that makes you a crybaby too.”

Chara laughs, tears spilling from his eyes. “I guess you’re right,” he says sadly.

Asriel gives him one last hug before leaving. Chara looks more subdued than before; the dark circles under his eyes are more pronounced, and he seems to curl in on himself.

Gaster takes a seat on the bed next to Chara. ‘ _How did you get sick?_ ’ He asks as gently as he can considering he can’t speak. Chara seemingly curls into himself more.

When Gaster first met Chara, he’d been incredibly distrustful of the human. Growing up around humans and later being betrayed by them left a bitter taste in his mouth and distrust in his SOUL. As time passed and he monitored Chara through regular check-ups, he came to learn that Chara had gone through much the same thing.  He was no longer weary of the human. Gaster saw Chara for what he truly was, someone wronged by humanity like every other monster in the Underground.

“I’m not going to get better,” Chara says quietly. It’s not a question or fear filled worry, but a statement of fact.

Gaster tried not to let his worry show. ‘ _Is this some human illness, then?_ ’

Chara looks up at him, making eye contact. “I’m going to get us out,” he says resolutely. His eyes hold a resolve Gaster hasn’t seen in anybody since before Monsterkind was sealed away. It doesn’t match Chara’s haggard physical appearance.

‘ _But the barrier_ ,’ he signs quickly. He has a bad feeling about where this is going.

“Was created by seven powerful mages, seven humans, I know,” Chara says. He looks down at his shaking hands. “That’s why I’m going to find their descendants and kill them.”

‘ _Chara,_ ’ Gaster warns, ‘ _the barrier can’t even be cr–_ ,’

“I’m not going to get better,” Chara repeats, and Gaster finally understands.

‘ _Asriel knows,_ ’ he realizes, ‘ _but the King and Queen don’t._ ’

He presses a hand to his forehead, overwhelmed by the realization of what Chara is doing. He plans to use the same magic that created the barrier to tear it down. While Gaster knows that’s likely the way the barrier is meant to be destroyed, he’s never dwelled on that fact for long. They have no feasible way of finding that magic or the humans that carry that magic.

 _Had_.

They _had_ no feasible way.

How did he never realize it before? He used his notes on humanity and their magic to create the CORE. Chara let Gaster study him to make the CORE more efficient. The human essence had such unlimited potential that even a false replica with minute traces of the real thing could generate enough energy to power the Underground.

Gaster gingerly touches the crack under his left eye socket and thinks back to his current project; it nearly cost him his sight and his magic. He’d already lost half his sight and magic trying to break the barrier when they were first trapped. Who’s to say the next attempt won’t kill him. He can’t risk trying to break the barrier unless he’s positive it will work.

Chara’s plan to cross the barrier— with Asriel’s help apparently— and retrieve the necessary SOULs would solve that issue. Not to mention he’d give Monsterkind the freedom they rightfully deserve.

Gaster’s brought out of his thoughts by the sound of Chara violently retching into the trashcan. There are tears in his eyes as he takes shaky breaths between dry heaves. Pain is etched in his face. Gaster gently rubs Chara’s back in an attempt to soothe him. ‘ _I’ll see what I can do to dull the pain._ ’

Chara looks up at him, surprise in his eyes. “You’re not gonna try and stop me?”

‘ _Humans can be so determined sometimes,_ ’ Gaster signs. He gives Chara a sad smile despite the twinge of pain it sends through his face and eye. ‘ _You especially so. I doubt anything I do can stop you,_’ He uses the cuff of his sleeve to wipe the blood from around Chara’s mouth. ‘ _All I can do is ease the pain so you do not suffer._ ’ After barely a moment’s consideration, he uses his opposite cuff to wipe the gather tears in Chara’s eyes.

Chara doesn’t speak after that. He stays quiet while Gaster finishes his examination of his condition. Gaster feels his SOUL break a little every time Chara stifles a pained sound. How terrible the humans had to have been to their own kind for Chara to go to such lengths for Monsterkind. Not even two hundred years and they have already turned on one another. It’s disgusting.

“C-can Azzy stay with me?” Chara asks quietly.

The hesitance in his voice pains Gaster. It makes Chara sound so _young_. Oh, how it makes him wish to see his own son. ‘ _Of course, my child._ ’

“I’m not a kid anymore,” Chara grumbles.

Gaster barely holds his amused laughter back. ‘ _You’re right my apologies,_ ’ he signs, unable to keep the adoration from his face. ‘ _But when you get to be as old as myself, or your parents, everyone seems like a child._ ’

 

 

−−−−

 

 

Date: June 15, 164X  
Name: Chara /ˈke·rä/  
Age: [Unknown]  
Height: 124.56 cm  
Weight: 18.4 kg  
Eye Color: Red-Copper  
Hair Color: Light Brown, chin length, straight  
Complextion: Pale, sickly

Report:

The human is illiterate and seems extremely weak. Its skeletal structure is clearly defined; it’s likely to be severyly underfed. It has a fear and distrust of those around them. It makes no sound when hurt, deliberately or otherwise. It’s littered with contusions, most likely from the fall.

 

Date: June 27, 164X  
Name: Chara    
Age: [Unknown]  
Height: 124.56 cm  
Weight: 21.1 kg  
Eye Color: Red-Copper  
Hair Color: Light Brown, chin length, straight  
Complextion: Pale, sickly

Report:

It has taken to the Royal Family; notably the young Prince. It has gained weight faster than anticipated. Skeletal structure is still clearly visible.  
It flinches at sudden movements, when something gets too close to its face, and when touched.

 

Date: September 3, 167X  
Name: Chara Dreemurr  
Age: [Unknown]  
Height: 135.07 cm  
Weight: 28.2 kg  
Eye Color: Red-Copper  
Hair Color: Light Brown, chin length, straight  
Complextion: Pale, healthy

Report:

Chara is a peculiar human. He has been in the Underground for a significant amount of time (especially by human standards), but seem to age at the same rate as Prince Asriel. It is uncertain whether this human is a special case or if his bond with the Royal Family is the cause.

By human standards he should be in his mid-30s to early-40s. His physical appearance and demeanor put him at the human equivalent of approximately 9 to 11 years of age. For the purpose of medical records, and for simplicities’ sake, his age will be treated like that of a monster’s from the time he arrived at the Underground.

Chara no longer flinches when touched or at sudden movements. He smiles more.

 

 

−−−−

 

 

Death Certificate

Date: November 27, 173X

Name: Chara Dreemurr

Age: Approx. 115 (human equivalent of 17)

Cause of Death: Unknown Illness and Humans

 

Death Certificate

Date: November 27, 173X

Name: Asriel Dreemurr

Age: 164

Cause of Death: Humans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Undyne (the lil bab) is around 15 in this. In human equivalent I mean.


	4. Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I'm so sorry. I meant to have this up monday

[Type]: Text Document

[Size]: ͟͡͏̧E̴̷̛͢͞r̵͏̸͘͟r̸̵͘o̷̸͟͝r̷̕̕ ̵͜

̶̴͡͏ ҉ ̶҉̢̛ ̶̧̛ ̴̡̛͢͡ ̨̧͜͠͠ ̶̴͡͏ ҉ ̶҉̢̛ ̶̧̛ ̛ Project (Personal Logs)

−−−−

Date: ̢͞ ̸̷̴̴·̵̷̶͘·̷̷̧̢͞.̷̢̧͞·͘·̶̢҉͏̧.̵̧·̷̡̕͜·̵̵  
Entry: 488

With Prince Chara dead, there is no need for this project to continued.

There is no need to create an artificial bullet pattern.

There is no need for anything.

There is no hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next (prose) chap will be in hopefully a week


	5. Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I mentioned I love Handplates? Skeletons being able to essentially see dialogue boxes is something I absolutely love!

Gaster rushes through the halls of the castle. It makes him feel sick. It’s too soon to be doing this again.

A spear is moved to block his path.

“Undyne,” he growls looking at said guard.

Her eyes narrow as she glares at him. “ _Gaster_ ,” she spits. It’s clear to him she still hasn’t forgiven him for their almost-fight when the Prince was sick. Maybe she blames him for their deaths. For not doing more. He certainly would in her position.

Undyne lifts her spear and lets him through. Gaster tries to keep his annoyance in check. So what if she wasted his time and made him short tempered? It’s not like he has to speak with the rulers of the Underground, whom also happen to be two grieving parents.

“Doctor Gaster,” Toriel breathes in relief. Her fur looks duller than usual, no longer soft and shiny. She seems thinner too, like she hasn’t been eating. Gaster makes a note to address the issue at a later time. “Thank the stars you’re here. Maybe _you_ can talk some sense into my husband.”

“ _Sense!?_ ” Asgore repeats incredulously. “How can you _not_ be angered that the humans have wronged us once more? Will it take them coming down here and mercilessly slaughtering us all for you to realize that there _is no peace_ to be had with them?”

Gaster tries not to reel at their angered words. While he wasn’t sure what to expect when he got the call summoning him to the castle, this certainly wasn’t it. Asgore and Toriel had been taking comfort in each other; he didn’t think it possible that they would fight like this.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Gaster interrupts gently. He’d rather not make their anger worse, or have it directed at himself. “What has brought this on?”

He didn’t think Toriel’s glare could intensify, but it does.

Even Asgore seems to bristle more. “Dogienne!” He snaps startling Gaster. “Bring it in.”

The sound of a door being thrown open is quickly drowned out by the sounds of shouting and a struggle.

Gaster can’t bring himself to pay attention to the shouting as a human is thrown to the floor in front of them. Their hands are tied behind their back but Dogienne still places a foot on their chest and holds her blade to their throat.

The human looks battered; there are bruises and cuts littering their body. Blood and mud caked on their skin. What looks like dust is mixed with the blood and mud…

“Dogienne!” Toriel yells. “You _will_ be gentle with them!”

“They don’t deserve our kindness!” Asgore instantly retorts.

Dogienne seems torn between who to listen to. She compromises by removing her foot from their chest.

Gaster stares at the figure on the floor. There’re too many emotions roiling in his SOUL. Surprise. Sadness. Grief. Trepidation. _Fear_.

The human snarls at them, blunt teeth bared.

“Dogienne,” Asgore says. His voice is calmer, colder. “Why don’t you tell Doctor Gaster what you reported.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Gaster tears his attention away from the human to look at her. There’s fury in her red-rimmed eyes. She looks tired and part of her ear is missing. Her hand shakes as she continues to hold her axe to the human’s throat. Gaster wonders if it’s from anger or exhaustion.

“We were doing our regular patrol in Snowdin forest when we smelled something. It smelled weird, but familiar,” she pauses as her voice starts shaking and her eyes sadden. Taking a deep breath, she continues with a much stronger tone. “We went to look and found _it_ surrounded by piles of dust–,”

“It’s normal for them to be frightened!” Toriel insists.

“ _Toriel!_ ” Asgore snaps. She’s not cowed by his harshness much like he isn’t by her glare. He turns back to Dogienne. “Continue.”

“We intervened before anymore else could get hurt. We decided to split the task,” her voice lost its strength and started to sound shaky once more. “One of us would collect the names of the fallen while the other calmed the human… And–,” her voice cracked, words trembling with emotion. “ _It killed him!_ ” She shouts. “ _It murdered my brother! No hesitation! No guilt! Pure L O V E!_ ” She growls, low and threateningly, at the human.

Gaster shuddered at the raw pain and anger Dogienne seems to be emitting.

Toriel moves towards the human. She crouches by them and tries to put a hand on their head. “You must be so scared, my child,” she coos.

The human jerks away and turns to glare at her. “ _Don’t touch me, you filthy monster!_ ”

Gaster tries not to flinch at the venom in the human’s voice. What could cause such _hatred_?

Toriel sighs, saddened by its response. “Unfortunately, it seems we’re unable to understand each other’s speech,” she says. “It’s why we called for you. Surely you can explain that we do not wish to harm them.”

“They murdered our children!” Asgore barks angrily. “How can you expect us to be nice to their kind after that!?”

“ _Chara was human too!_ ” Toriel shouts.

Asgore flinches at Chara’s name. Even Gaster and Dogienne can’t suppress their own flinches.

“ _The Dæmon,_ ” the human hisses.

This catches Gaster’s attention. They know Chara, or at least know of him. How can they know Chara? Both Princes were over a hundred years old and died fifteen years ago, and this human’s appearance is about the same as Chara’s when he had died. This new human couldn’t have been older than an infant when the two Princes traveled to the surface.

Gaster hesitantly approaches the human. Their speech feels stilted in his mouth. He conjures two sets of extraneous hands. He’s healed enough that doing so causes negligible strain on his magic. He’ll have one set translate his words and the other set translate the human’s.

“What is a _Dæmon?_ ” Gaster asks.

The human redirects it’s glare from Toriel to himself. It makes his bones feel cold. “Creatures with tainted blood; monsters pretending to be human.”

A monster pretending to be human? The only monsters that looked human at a glance were gnomes, and the fæ; both species were completely wiped out at the start of the war. After nearly two hundred years, Humanity is sure to have forgotten them. “What makes someone a Dæmon?”

“The age of a monster. Recognizable only by the elders,” it hisses.

Gaster frowns. What does age have to do with it? Chara has been far older than this human, older than their parents. Possible even older than their grandparents.

He reels back at the realization. “Chara was a hybrid,” he breathes.

The abuse Chara went through before falling into the Underground. His contempt for Humanity. His refusal to try crossing the barrier. His anomalous aging rate. It’s such an obvious statement in retrospect.

“Why did it come here?” Asgore demands.

Gaster shakes off the revelation. As much as he’d like to dwell on it, he has orders. Turning back to the human, he asks, “Why have you come here?”

The human laughs. It’s a cold cruel sound. Gaster shudders.“ _I’ve come to rid this word of the Monster scourge once and for all!_ ”

Toriel gasps at its declaration. “My child,” she pleads approaching it despite it not understanding her. “You’re misguided, allow–,”

She stares, open mouthed, in horror as blood stains her robes and fur. Gaster ignores the feeling of warm blood on his bones as he shakily stands up. “Y– Your Majesty?”

Asgore pulls his trident free from the human’s chest, pulling the SOUL out with it. Taking the SOUL in his hand, he crushes it. It sounds like glass breaking.

It’s deafening in the tense stillness.

“Every human who falls down here must die,” Asgore declares. Resolve burns brightly in his eyes. There’s a hint of sadness as well, but it’s quickly stamped down by anger.

Gaster chances a glance at the Queen. She looks disgusted at him. “You can’t just ignore that our own son was human too!” She shouts.

Asgore looks at Toriel and then at the now dead human. “You heard it. Chara was also monster… And look at what that got them: rejection and scorn from humanity,” he says calmly.

Toriel can only stare at him in disbelief and disgust. She turns without another word and storms out of the room.

The bang of the doors being thrown open nearly drowns out Undyne’s startled call. “Your Heighness!”

“Undyne,” Asgore calls, stilling said guard from following after Toriel. “Leave her.”

Undyne looks unsure as she glances between Asgore and the hallway Toriel disappeared down. “But…”

“Leave. Her,” he repeats.

She straightens at his tone. “Yes, Your Majesty,” she quickly replies.

Gaster looks back at the human. There are three holes in it. One in the neck and two through the sternum. From the human’s size, one of the holes must have directly pierced its heart. Even in his anger, the King is kind; unable to make his enemies suffer.

“If you want the body, Doctor Gaster,” Asgore says grabbing his attention, “you can have it. Otherwise,” he turns to Dogienne. “Dogienne, will dispose of it.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” she replies.

Asgore nods. “Undyne, I’m returning to the Grand Hall. Bring the Guard in an hour; I have an announcement.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Gaster doesn’t move for a full minute after Asgore leaves, and it’s only because Dogienne places a paw on his shoulder. He startles. “Apologies,” she says. “Are you okay, Doctor Gaster?”

He stares at her for a few moments in disbelief. There’s grief in her eyes and she’s still asking if _he’s_ okay. “Yes, I’m okay,” he lies, “but what about you? Are you okay?”

She seems surprised by the question. “I…” she trails off. “My brother and I knew what we signed up for. Dying has and will always be a possibility,” she says. Though, she sounds like she’s trying to convince herself rather than trying to reassure Gaster.

He debates whether he should push the issue. They’re not exactly friends, just acquaintances. They only really know each other because of Grillby. He can’t exactly tell her that it’s okay to not be okay.

She clears her throat, seemingly shaking herself back into a professional demeanor. “Will you be taking the body?” She asks.

“Er, yes,” he says awkwardly. Before he can say anything else, she nods and leaves.

Gaster lets out a long breath and sags in exhaustion. He looks back at the human and shudders. It had come down here to kill everyone. And it’d been found in the outskirts of Snowdin. Had Dogienne and Doggère not gone to investigate– no. If any of the other guards had been there instead of them, Snowdin could have… He could have… _His son could have_ …

“sup, Doc. the King said…”

Gaster tries not to jump at his assistant’s voice. He whirls around to see Sans staring at the human, sockets devoid of their usual eyelights. There’s such a wide range of emotions crossing his face. “Sans?”

“i’d ask where the soul is but im pretty sure thats just _dust in the wind_ by now,” he says grinning.

Gaster can’t help thinking his smile looks _far_ too strained.

“i take it i got my old job back, eh, Doc,” Sans continues glancing back at him. “Doctor Gaster?”

“Er, yes. More than likely,” Gaster says pulling himself together. “I need to get this human back to the lab… Though, thinking about it now, I haven’t the faintest clue how to transport it. It’s so messy at present.”

Sans raises a browbone at him. His eyelights seem smaller, _sharper_ , than usual. Something about them make Gaster feel like his very being is being examined. Before he can question Sans, said skeleton closes his eyes with a drawn-out sigh. “an’ here i thought you’d everythin’ figured out,” he shakes his head and starts towards the door. “be back in a jiffy with a tarp.”

Not even a minute passes before Sans returns carrying a thick brown tarp. “help me push her onta this thing,” he says laying the tarp next to the human.

“ _Her_?” Gaster asks looking closer at the human. Even when they still lived on the surface, he could never tell what a human’s gender was by looking at them. He always had to either ask or figure it out by how others spoke of them. “How can you tell?”

“youre _kid_ din’ right?” Sans says incredulously. Despite his tone annoying Gaster, at least he now knows the human was on the younger side. “all ya gotta do is look at ‘em. tho occasionally there’s some with a mismatched body. in those cases you just gotta ‘pologize and ask ‘em.”

Gaster tries not to let his annoyance get the better of him. “Can you please stop being so sloppy?” He asks through a tight jaw. “Your speech is giving me a migraine.”

“sure,” Sans grins. “now help me get Swiss on the tarp, will ya?”

Gaster sighs. Of course, Sans would find a way to do as he’s told while simultaneously not doing as he’s told. “Do I even want to know where _Swiss_ came from?” He asks helping Sans lift the body onto the tarp. Now that he’s closer, the tarp looks like it’s made of worn leather instead of the usual plastic the merchants use.

Sans simply shrugs, folding the tarp over the still figure. “she reminds me of Swiss.”

Gaster watches as Sans ties the tarp. Sans has never been open about his personal life. There’s no way he’s referring to a person; he must mean food. “Because of the holes?” He says dryly.

Sans shoots him a grin, finger guns and all. “bingo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans finally (properly) appears! :D  
> About time haha.
> 
> Next chap will also be prose. 
> 
> Hope people are actually liking this. It's changed so much from what I originally wrote in '15. I have no idea how I'm going to do the one thing I originally wrote this for haha. Oh well, I'll figure it out.  
> Unfortunately that means updates will now be incredibly slow. I've run out of backlogged chaps I've been posting, and I'm an incredibly slow writer.


End file.
